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My dog won't eat, is throwing up, and has diarrhea. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 2 years and 7 months old | 115 lbs

Loss of appetite becoming more frequent in a normally always hungry 3-year old Doberman-Rottweiler mix, now he regurgitated half his dinner after not eating breakfast nor grass (which he does when his tummy is upset). He seems to be barking, crying, tipping more in his sleep as well. Last week he had a day of diarrhea that passed within 24 hours. I'm starting to get a little worried - could this be indicative of something serious? Behaviorally, he seems normal but the rest of it concerns me.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Kristin DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 31st, 2017

Based on the information provided, I'm not clear as to how long the loss of appetite and other symptoms have been going on, but I'm assuming more than 24 hours. It sounds like your big man normally has a very healthy appetite. The symptoms do seem pretty vague, but if they are becoming more frequent, it is definitely time to see your veterinarian. Lots of things could cause Cash to stop eating; everything from a virus, to a blockage from something he ate, or kidney or liver disease, and more. Your veterinarian will likely want to start checking some bloodwork and maybe getting abdominal xrays. The previous episode of diarrhea may or may not be related, but I think it is time to look into this further. In response to your question "could this be something serious", that is harder to answer. In short, yes it could, but I hope it isn't. Only with a full exam and some testing will your veterinarian be able to answer that fully. I hope your Johnny Cash is on the mend soon.

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    Answered By Rebecca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Vomitting can be an indication of a simple gastritis or tummy upset or something more serious such as pancreatitis, foreign body, cancer or toxicity. As he seems uncomfortable to you I would recomend a vet visit to assess Johnny. Depending on what is found on exam the vet may discuss doing bloodwork or X-rays or treating symptomatically. Good luck. Hope he feels better soon.

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